Fluorine-Polymer Cloth Coating Balancing Oil Repellency and Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloths with organic fibers face challenges in achieving both oil repellency and water-absorbing properties while maintaining effective dirt removal and antibacterial properties, with previous solutions often conflicting or harming the environment due to the use of fluorine compounds like PFOA and PFOS.
Innovation Solution
A cloth is developed with a fluorine-containing polymer attached to organic fibers, specifically a polyester fiber, using a quaternary ammonium salt and melamine binder resin, which provides oil repellency, dirt removal by washing, and water-absorbing properties while minimizing environmental impact by limiting PFOA and PFOS concentration to 5 ng/g or less.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If SG treatment is conducted on a fiber to make the surface oil repellent, then oil repellency is improved, but water-absorbing property deteriorates because the fiber surface becomes water repellent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different functional properties to different parts of the fiber surface. The SG agent provides oil repellency at the outermost surface layer, while the SR agent creates hydrophilic regions that enable water absorption. This local differentiation allows the fiber to exhibit both oil repellency and water-absorbing properties simultaneously without contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite treatment approach by combining SG (soil guard) agent and SR (soil release) agent on the fiber surface. The SG agent component provides oil repellency, while the SR agent component provides hydrophilicity for water absorption. This composite material strategy resolves the contradiction by integrating two opposing functional properties into a single treatment system.
2Quantity of substance
If SR treatment is conducted on the fiber to make the surface hydrophilic for easy dirt removal, then water-absorbing property is improved, but oil repellency deteriorates because the fiber becomes less oil repellent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates distinct functional zones on the fiber surface where SR agent provides hydrophilic properties in certain regions for water absorption and dirt removal, while SG agent provides oil repellent properties in other regions. This spatial separation of functions allows both properties to coexist without mutual interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite treatment system combining SR and SG agents, where the SR component ensures hydrophilicity and water-absorbing capability, while the SG component maintains oil repellency. The synergistic interaction between these two composite materials resolves the contradiction between water absorption and oil repellency.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fluorine compounds such as PFOA and PFOS are used to achieve oil repellency and dirt removal, then oil repellency is improved, but environmental harm increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the fluorine-containing polymer by strictly limiting the concentration of PFOA and PFOS to 5 ng/g or less. This parameter control approach maintains the oil repellency function while eliminating the environmental harm associated with these specific compounds, thus resolving the contradiction between performance and environmental safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of fluorine compounds by selectively eliminating PFOA and PFOS while retaining other fluorine-containing polymers that provide oil repellency without environmental damage. This transforms the harmful aspect into a beneficial outcome by maintaining functionality while removing toxicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cloth exhibits excellent oil repellency, dirt removal, and water-absorbing properties, with improved antibacterial properties and reduced environmental harm, as demonstrated by specific performance metrics such as water-absorbing time, oil repellency grade, and bacteriostatic activity values.
Implementation Method 1
a cloth containing an organic fiber, which is excellent in oil repellency
Implementation Method 2
water-absorbing property in accordance with the JIS L1018A method (the instillation method) is 60 seconds or less
Implementation Method 3
it is preferable that the cloth is also excellent in antibacterial property
Data Source
AI summary
An object is to provide a cloth containing an organic fiber, which is excellent in the oil repellency, dirt-removal property by washing and water-absorbing property, and a textile product produced using the cloth. A means for solution is attaching a specific fluorine-containing polymer to a cloth containing an organic fiber, with a quaternary ammonium salt if desired, and thus making the water-absorbing property in accordance with JIS L1018A method (the instillation method) 60 seconds or less and the oil repellency in accordance with AATCC118-1992 grade 4 or higher.